Whale and Dolphin watching trip to the Small Isles and Coll

Whale watching

When: April to October and through the Winter on demand
Ages: 8+
Depart from: Lochaline or Tobermory
Time: 1100-1700

Cost: £150

 

Leaving from Lochaline and Tobermory, our Whale and Dolphin watching trips are exciting explorations of one of the richest pieces of water for Cetaceans in the UK. Our main target area is between Eigg & Muck on the Small Isles to the North, Ardnamurchan Lighthouse to the East and the Cairns of Coll to the West. 

We will be hoping to see Harbour Porpoise, Common Dolphin and Minke Whales in the main, but will also look for White Tailed Eagles and Golden Eagles. 

The rarer visitors to these waters include Fin Whales, the West Coast Orca pod, Bottlenose Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin, Humpback Whales and Sunfish. 

Itinerary

We will leave Lochaline at 1100 and look for common and grey seals in the Loch as well as White Tailed Eagles, Buzzards & Hen Harriers. As we get into the Sound of Mull, we will continue looking for White Tailed Eagles, Harbour Porpoise and Common Dolphin. As we motor along to Tobermory, we always keep a close eye out for Otters as they often pop up as we motor past. We will dock in at Tobermory at around 1200 for a short toilet stop and to pick up anyone booking from Tobermory. 

We will then head along the North Coast of Mull before heading past Ardnamurchan Lighthouse on the way to Muck. Our route will depend on the sea state and what we see, but we will look for any opportunity that presents itself.

We head back to Tobermory for about 1545 and motor back to Lochaline to arrive in at 1700. 

Key information

Please note that there is no toilet on board the boat, but there are opportunities to use a toilet on both of our stops at Tobermory. 

Island Panther can travel in most sea conditions, but we are likely to cancel if it isn’t conducive to seeing wildlife or comfortable for travel. Usually we will offer an alternative trip or date in the first instance.